When Vincent Lecavalier's phone rang at the breakfast table on Thursday morning, he knew he'd get his answer, one way or another.

The news Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman delivered wasn't what the longtime captain hoped for: he'd been bought out under the compliance/amnesty provision, and his time in Tampa was coming to an end after 15 years and a Stanley Cup.

Vincent Lecavalier signed an 11-year, $85 million contract that began in 2009. (AP Photo)

The end result: Lecavalier becomes a free agent, and the Lightning get out from the last seven years of his $7.727 million salary cap hit. Tampa Bay also avoids the punitive "cap recapture" penalty that would've come up had Lecavalier, 33, retired before his contract was up in 2020.

Lecavalier, as he said several times on a Thursday conference call, understands the business side of things. The move happened because of the salary cap. Period.

"I signed my last deal because I wanted to play for the Lightning for the rest of my career, but things happen," Lecavalier said after thanking owner Jeff Vinik, Yzerman, and the fans.

That doesn't mean that Lecavalier will, as some speculated, sign a short-term deal with a new team, then finish his career with the Lightning. He said he's still motivated to play and wants a longer-term deal. He had 32 points in 39 games last year, and his production has tailed off annually since his 108-point peak in 2006-07, but he remains a solid player capable of 60 points a season or so. Whether that nets him a long-term deal remains to be seen.

Specifically, Lecavalier was asked about the Montreal Canadiens (his hometown team) and Detroit Red Wings (the team he rooted for as a kid) and didn't give much beyond standard compliments about either.

Either way, he said he'll keep up his charitable efforts in Tampa, where he's lived since he was 18, and that he'll need some new workout gear: "All the T-shirts when I work out in the morning, it's all the Tampa Bay Lightning," he said.